Douglas Arenberg, MD
Douglas Arenberg, MD, conducts research in angiogenesis, the role of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in cancer, tumor microenvironment and its influence on tumor biology. His research also focuses on lung cancer screening, early detection and risk biomarker studies.
Publications
Christine Freeman Basmajian, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Deputy Associate Chief of Staff - Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Degrees and Fellowships
- PhD, University of Michigan, 2006
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Research Fellow, University of Michigan, 2009
Research Interests
The long term goal of my research is to improve understanding of how the immune system contributes to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) progression. I am particularly interested in the role of CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and NK T cells in COPD pathogenesis and providing insight into the mechanisms by which these cells could be causing lung destruction. For these studies, we use human lung tissue from clinically-indicated surgical procedures. We have developed innovative techniques that allow us to directly study the response of cytotoxic cells in vitro and correlate this to patient data.
Publications
Kevin Chan, MD
Kevin Chan, MD, conducts research in clinical management and outcomes in lung transplantation, infections in lung transplantation, predictors of prognosis in patients with end stage lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension.
Publications
Michael Coffey, MD
Michael Coffey, MD, conducts research in the regulation of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase in alveolar macrophages, role of obesity in the pathogenesis of asthma, and sleep disordered breathing and asthma phenotype.
Publications
Colin Cooke, MD, MSc, MS
Colin Cooke, MD, MSc, MS, conducts research in how healthcare policy, the healthcare system, and individual patient characteristics impact the quality, efficiency and outcomes of care delivered to patients in the intensive care unit.
Publications
Jeffrey Curtis, MD
Jeffrey Curtis, MD, conducts research on the regulation of pulmonary host defense and immune responses through lymphocyte recruitment and apoptosis and macrophage phagocytosis.
Publications
Robert Dickson, MD
Robert Dickson, MD, conducts research in the area of microbial communities in the respiratory tract.
View Dr. Dickson's lab website.
Publications
John Erb-Downward, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Internal Medicine
Degrees and Fellowships
- BS, Cornell University, 1996
- PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, 2005
- Fellowship, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, 2009
Research Interests
Dr. Erb-Downward's investigative career has focused on the communication between host and microbe, including the microbiome. Some of my initial publications identified the ability of a pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, to produce immunomodulatory prostaglandins. These investigations demonstrated that through small molecules, microbes were capable of communicating directly with mammalian host cells in the same language that the host cells use to communicate with each other. This research led me to study microbial ecology and the interactions between the host and the indigenous microbiota of the lung. Broadly, my current research involves elucidating the role of the lung microbiome in lung disease through an examination of the bacterial communities present in the lungs of healthy individuals and those with lung disease (COPD, IPF, lung cancer, ALI and after lung transplantation). To characterize these bacterial communities I use culture-independent methods such as high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene along with multivariate visualization and analysis tools to identify community differences. I am working with several different investigators combining microbial community data with clinical data to determine which bacterial communities drive the differences between health and disease, and which host factors correlate with community differences.
Dr. Erb-Downward is a member of Dr. Gary Huffnagle's lab team.
Publications
Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS
Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, conducts research in pulmonary fibrosis.
Publications
MeiLan Han, MD, MS
MeiLan Han, MD, MS, conducts research in COPD and airways diseases.
Publications
Steven Huang, MD
Steven Huang, MD, conducts research on the biology, pathology, and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis as it relates to prostaglandin E2 and other eicosanoids.
Publications
Yvonne Huang, MD
Yvonne Huang, MD, conducts research on microbiome interactions in the human host that shape the pathogenesis and phenotypes of asthma and COPD seen in adult patients.
Publications
Robery Hyzy, MD
Robery Hyzy, MD, conducts research in the areas of ARDS, ventilator associated pneumonia, sepsis, and delirium.
Publications
Venkateshwar Keshamouni, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Degrees and Fellowships
- PhD, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad India, 1996
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Indiana University, 1998
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wayne State University, 2002
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan, 2003
Research Interests
The dynamic interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) foster tumor growth, metastasis and may influence the outcome of a given therapy. It is apparent that understanding the unique molecular circuitry of the TME is essential for successful control of a malignancy. In spite of being the leading cause of cancer death world-wide, the nature and the role of TME in lung tumor progression and metastasis is poorly understood. Towards this goal, our efforts are focused on delineating basic mechanisms and interactions in lung TME particularly that are mediated by the cytokine TGF-beta, and to develop therapeutic strategies to disrupt these interactions. Projects that we are currently pursuing are 1) targeting TGF-beta mediated Epithelial-mesenchymal transition for prognosis and therapy of lung cancer; 2) regulation of immune evasive mechanisms in tumor microenvironment; and 3) restoring tumor suppressive functions of TGF-b.
Publications
Kevin Kim, MD
Kevin Kim, MD, conducts research in tissue fibrosis and type I collagen affect on pathology in fibrosis and cancer.
Publications
Vibha Lama, MD, MS
Vibha Lama, MD, MS, conducts research on the pathogenesis and treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans, role of prostaglandins in fibroproliferation, and exercise in interstitial lung disease.
Publications
Njira Lugogo, MD
Njira Lugogo, MD conducts research on new therapies for severe asthma and management of severe asthma, obesity and asthma, and biomarkers and asthma phenotyping.
Publications
Bethany Moore, PhD
Galen B. Toews MD Collegiate Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Director, Doctoral Program in Immunology, Rackham Graduate School
Degrees and Fellowships
- BA, Microbiology, University of Texas, 1986
- PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1992
- Fellowship, Rheumatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1994
- Fellowship, Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1995
- Fellowship, Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1997
Research Interests
Dr. Moore's laboratory has two basic areas of interest. The first is the pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease. The second is pulmonary host defense following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Specific interests in these areas are as follows:
Fibrotic Lung Disease:
- The role of chemokines and eicosanoids in the pathogenesis of experimental fibrosis
- The role of circulating fibrocytes in the pathogenesis of fibrosis
- The role of viral infections in the exacerbation of experimental fibrosis
- Epithelial/fibroblast interactions in fibrosis
- Viral-induced fibrosis in the aged lung
Publications
Thomas Moore, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Department of Internal Medicine
Director, University of Michigan Flow Cytometry Core Facility
Degrees and Fellowships
- PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1993
- Fellowship, Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1994
- Fellowship, Immunology, DNAX Research Institute, 1997
Research Interests
- Pulmonary innate and adaptive immune responses
- Pulmonary fibrosis biomarkers
- Flow cytometry
Publications
Michal Olszewski, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Research Biologist, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
Degrees and Fellowships
- DVM, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 1988
- PhD, Michigan State University, 1997
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, "Multidisciplinary Research Training in Lung Diseases", Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 03/1998 - 08/1999
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Investigator Training in Pulmonary Immunology. VA Career Development/Research Enhancement Award Program, VA Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, 08/1999 - 10/2002
Research Interests
Scientific interest of our group focuses on the host-pathogen interaction at the interface of the adaptive and innate immunity. The effects of these interactions on the development of protective responses against fungal and bacterial pathogens are a common theme of these studies. Following areas of investigation have been established: Mechanisms involved in pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans infection and persistence of this microbe are main focus of our work. The interplay between the host and microbial factors especially, the role of microbial factors, urease, laccase-lac1, ena1, pyk1, rub1, vad1 and Hsp70 homologue Ssa1 on different aspects of innate and adaptive host response. Studies of macrophage M1/M2 polarization and their plasticity in the context of cryptococcal infection Alternative activation of macrophages promotes persistence of C. neoformans we look into the mechanisms that promote and or prevent the alternative activation. These mechanisms include cytokines, direct effects of cryptococcal virulence factors, and pattern recognition receptors such as TLR9. We study how these factors affect macrophage biology in context of cryptococcal infection. Studies of the role of macrophage lysosomal damage and its effects on macrophage fungicidal activities and cryptococcal antigen cross-presentation. Differential outcomes of infections are observed in various strains of mice infected with C. neoformans. We are interested in inheritance of these factors and the evaluation how genetic differences affect phenotype of the immune response to C. neoformans. Mechanisms modulating the development of the adaptive immune responses to C. neoformans, particularly the role of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors including TNF-alpha and IL-12, CCL7 (MCP-3), CCL3 (MIP-1 alpha) and GMCSF. Effects of these factors during the early responses (dendritic cells and macrophages) and their subsequent effects on T cell response polarization are studied.
Publications
John Osterholzer, MD
John Osterholzer, MD, conducts research on lung dendritic cell recruitment and immunobiology, pulmonary host defense against fungal organisms, and mechanisms of T cell polarization in the pulmonary microenvironment.
Publications
Raghu Penke, PhD
Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine
Degrees and Fellowships
- BS, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India, 2002
- MS, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India, 2004
- PhD, University of Pune, Pune, India, 2012
- Fellowship, Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2012
- Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, 2017
Research Interests
- Molecular regulation of fibroblast activation and tissue fibrosis
- Mechanisms of IL13 signaling
- Role alveolar macrophages in lung inflammation
Publications
Marc Peters-Golden, MD
Marc Peters-Golden, MD, conducts research on the mechanistic aspects of lung inflammation, antimicrobial defense, and fibrosis. Using tools of molecular and cell biology, cells from diseased patients, as well as animal models of disease, we focus on the functions of two key cells in the lung, macrophages and fibroblasts, and how these cells interact with each other and with neighboring epithelial cells. Ongoing current projects include: 1) the role of extracellular vesicles in cell-cell communication in lung health and disease, and 2) cellular programs dictating aberrant fibroblast activation in pulmonary fibrosis. We are currently examining disease states including asthma, cigarette smoke-induced inflammation, lung cancer, lung infection, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Our ultimate goal is to gain novel insights into lung homeostasis and disease pathogenesis, and to identify new strategies for therapeutic targeting. The laboratory consists of a highly interactive and collaborative group of students as well as M.D. and Ph.D. postdoctoral trainees from around the world.
Publications
Hallie Prescott, MD, MSc
Hallie Prescott, MD, MSc, conducts research on the long-term outcomes of acute medical illnesses.
Publications
Benjamin Singer, MD, PhD
Benjamin Singer, MD, PhD conducts research on how surviving critical illness increases risk for long-term organ injury, with a focus on persistent brain dysfunction and dementia.
View the Sepsis Survival Lab site.
Publications
Thomas Sisson, MD
Thomas Sisson, MD, conducts research on the plasminogen system in the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema.
Publications
Michael Sjoding, MD, MSc
Michael Sjoding, MD, MSc, conducts research on pulmonary and critical care and hospital medicine, with a focus on inpatient hospital quality measures and their unintended consequences, the epidemiology of critical illness, and methods for critical care delivery.
Publications
Thomas Valley, MD, MSc
Thomas Valley, MD, MSc, conducts research on decision-making in the intensive care unit for patients, families, and clinicians.
Publications
Ragini Vittal, PhD
Ragini Vittal, PhD, conducts research on IL-17A-mediated epithelial injury in lung fibrosis and chronic rejection post-transplant, and complement activation in lung fibrosis.
Publications
Xiaofeng Zhou, PhD
Research Investigator, Department of Internal Medicine
Degrees and Fellowships
- BA, Entomology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 1989
- MSc, Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China, 1995
- PhD, Physiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel, 2001
- Postdoctoral Fellowship: Hormonal regulation of adult development, Department of Biology, University of Washington, 2007
- Postdoctoral Fellowship: Signal transduction in cancer, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 2009
- Postdoctoral Fellowship: Cell fusion in tumorigenesis, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 2012
- Postdoctoral Fellowship: Impacts of stem cell transplantation in immunity, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, University of Michigan, 2016
Research Interests
- Pulmonary complications post hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- Differentiation of helper T cells
- Dendritic cell subsets and functions
- Tolerance and autoimmunity
